TOUR THROUGH GALICIA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 183, 12 January 1915, Page 7

TOUR THROUGH GALICIA.

DEVASTATION t.iF iiA'iTLK. ill'iX UF I'KASAXTS' HOMES. describing a 1(1111- of the battlefield* jf Calicin, a. r»rrc>,|ioiiilciif of tlie London 'j'hiio. writes:—Our course for the present was for llawa liuska. All day \M' travel just behind and parallel to the Knorinn front, where to-ilay on« of tlic greatest battles of history is being fought. 'J'lie road lead* winding through a beautiful rrillin" country that with its autumn tints and woodclad bills reminds one of Xew England at jus) Ibis season of the year. As we twist about ill the little valleys we lose the sound of sims, but alter an humor two we are out on tin l gr< at flat plain that lies to the north, and here even above the rumble of the train comes the nnintermittent thunder of the conflict that rapes to the west and south. For !i week now there bus been an almost continuous action extending from Sambor on the south along the line of the l'iver San, and northwards through V'aroslav and beyond. In a general way I we learn that the Austrian-', are making a determined effort to regain their lost territory. After the tcvriWi- di feats around Oodck and Kawa llnska. their armv is said to have been bidlv spilt, part of tlieir corps -retiring through the passes of the Carpathians to the sontb. and the balance on Cracow. Those that moved 'through the passes have, we are told, been reorganised and sent around by rail to (lie Cracow army, and the whole body licked into shape, recruited with new troops, and seasoned with the addition of certain Ornian corps. The fighting which we know to have been under way i:ow for a wock is the ivsuH of an a^rrssiVi" 4 niovrmont- on 11 jo pari of the which lic.Qan with n. <l«'i.Tini ip.m! cflVivt to drive iiu> "Russians out of Sambor, the l .\»wtrhtn right ) ji'iiiLr iif that neighborhood. Tlu* Hll- - here was; vicious to a and th" moved first to tlx* advantage of orfe and iisen the other, but reunited in t!v I'fciilire of the little t--vi: hy the j

Tin-; ai'vtrtax i;orr. Xc:;!, l!i:' Austrian* arc believed *<i l>avv ccneentrated n number of -f]\i ir best, army corps between Sambor an>l Vrzemy?.! in a terrific attempt, to bv.-ni-:' tlironirli tin* line ami move <1 hj• <-t!>• on T.'-mb'.'vy. The - 1" vc war )".\\ (!u v.> i• v f ri l ; , -r.v,') li'-st", ]h'aw. I'Vi f ! ' (if the c::i}':■ - to tli.. ti)list have been • '- i.:, 1'... l.'hlr-coali'd : b arch v arc -ail t:> .at'c fallen .»••> tlie lian<ls of tlie ill?. If. i i; . ! = ■-'ians, j safe to say t; ar. tbo bar-h 5 - n« '.f the : Austrian wis br : ?'wn on ; tlic soiiili ami tb p inter l -'" • -he con-j llict. serins (o linvc i.o tho ! position aroiui:! Ya'oJav. »• ««-n are le:l to beliew t' O-"--, '< i'iiiH on to tin* A'.Mrh-1- '' - r'sb; f'iinult tliat \vt Irav, ■ for the past few <lay-\ The stories oiu- ,•!>.!;' up from the driff. that conies )>r nrin.u l>nek from the fror.t are extremely -eon dieting. Probable when flir'final version is publis!ii':l, it will appear that the fighting fincnsfl V:ii'o-];iv !i;h. been as hitter and inler-c a hit of warfare as this whole desperat' ;.:; ! .s!ie has witnessed, not excepting tin- operations in the west. It is known that the vtermans attacked Yaroslav with their characteristic determination, and it is stated that the Russians have recaptured it. To take such a position from the Hermans proves beyond a doubt that when it comes to actual contact and the bayonet, the men of the Tsar are just as good as required. Tlie position around Varoslav is one of immense importance, and there is no doubt lint that the Germans are really making every effort to redeeir the failure of their Austrian allies to the south. It: is not unfair to conclude now that the Austrians, either in defence or offence, are inferior to the Russians. The test around. Yaroslav has certainly not shown that the Germans are superior to them.

lil'SSI AN CLEMENCY. , J The entire country- over which xve liave travelled all day is tluit which xvas fonjilit oxer by the Russians and -,Austriiins. There is not a station nor a village that clous not show the signs of the terrible conflict, that has sxvept this xvav. The liehls arc lined xvith trenches'and dotted xviLh gun positions, while almost every station is wiped out by artillery fire.' Here, as elsexvhere, l' have noted with great interest, thievery obvious oll'orts that have been made to spare houses of peasants. Only rarely in this zone is there to he notie- | ed tl'ic destruction of the dwellings of i the humble, though in the adjacent tielUs one finds trenches and improvised

defences, with the whole literally sown with fragments of shrapnel shells and thousands upon thousands of empty cartridges. As wt approach Rawa Euska, the si,ens of lighting become more and more apparent, and here we see the saddest [ rights of all; that is, the situation where tlie fierceness of the battle was such that even the, houses of the peasants came within the zones of fire. Owtside I!awa Euska, our train stopped for an hour or two, and xve talked with a number of the helpless, hapless, peasant women. who. xvith sohs. pointed out the nuns of their homes. It is a dreadful sight this—women xvith seared faces, children clinging to their skirts, themselves. destitute, and in their eyes the •jreal (|iiestiou of coming winter and 'mouths to lie fed and shelter to be found. This is xvan's most- hideous aspect,